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Author here. Not sure why you're being downvoted, I completely I agree with this. The fact that even upper middle class doesn't guarantee any real security was

Author here. Not sure why you're being downvoted, I completely I agree with this. The fact that even upper middle class doesn't guarantee any real security was a huge wake-up call for me, and I can't imagine what it's like for everyone else.

magic_beans 8y ago
I think this is a fallacy of immigrant parenting. While I was growing up, my mother's mantra was always: "Go to college, get a good job, you will make money and everything will be perfect for you." In her mind, success could ONLY come from a) college and b) a good job (doctor, engineer). But here's the thing -- white collar jobs are just as subject to cost-cutting and instability as any other job. And perhaps, in the end, a "perfect" job in which you work yourself to death for a paycheck is hardly a happy or rewarding way to live. Open your mind. Life is insecurity. Be open to change and you will thrive.
toss1 8y ago
'The best security is insecurity.' -- a concept that became apparent to me early on, and has served me well. To realize that whatever security there once was on corporate jobs is at best a vanishing illusion. To realize that the way forward isn't to build on a rock that will likely be flooded at some point, but to realize that you must surf. While that doesn't mean that it'll all be great, it does prepare you for when the wave does crash down on you and pummel you into the sandy bottom -- you get back in the mix a lot faster and more capably than those who bought into the expectation of stability. Also can lead to a much more interesting career, even if not as consistently lucrative.
ef4 8y ago
I think as you gain more experience and perspective you will look back and realize that you simply weren't upper middle class yet. It's not about income (which is just a point-in-time metric that can change in an instant), it's about assets. Programmers have a much better shot at establishing this kind of security than most people, because you should be making 2x to 3x median income for your area, which means you can live on 1x median income and invest the rest. A lot of the people I've worked with as a programmer over the past 14 years have done effectively that, so by now they have a lot of assets. That is what upper middle class security looks like.

magic_beans 8y ago

I think this is a fallacy of immigrant parenting. While I was growing up, my mother's mantra was always: "Go to college, get a good job, you will make money and everything will be perfect for you." In her mind, success could ONLY come from a) college and b) a good job (doctor, engineer). But here's the thing -- white collar jobs are just as subject to cost-cutting and instability as any other job. And perhaps, in the end, a "perfect" job in which you work yourself to death for a paycheck is hardly a happy or rewarding way to live. Open your mind. Life is insecurity. Be open to change and you will thrive.

toss1 8y ago

'The best security is insecurity.' -- a concept that became apparent to me early on, and has served me well. To realize that whatever security there once was on corporate jobs is at best a vanishing illusion. To realize that the way forward isn't to build on a rock that will likely be flooded at some point, but to realize that you must surf. While that doesn't mean that it'll all be great, it does prepare you for when the wave does crash down on you and pummel you into the sandy bottom -- you get back in the mix a lot faster and more capably than those who bought into the expectation of stability. Also can lead to a much more interesting career, even if not as consistently lucrative.

ef4 8y ago

I think as you gain more experience and perspective you will look back and realize that you simply weren't upper middle class yet. It's not about income (which is just a point-in-time metric that can change in an instant), it's about assets. Programmers have a much better shot at establishing this kind of security than most people, because you should be making 2x to 3x median income for your area, which means you can live on 1x median income and invest the rest. A lot of the people I've worked with as a programmer over the past 14 years have done effectively that, so by now they have a lot of assets. That is what upper middle class security looks like.